Klobuchar Struggles To Break Through In Tuesday Debate
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Tuesday night, 10 of the Democratic presidential hopefuls debated in Detroit.
Among them was Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who still has not qualified for the next series of debates in September, and didn't really get her breakthrough moment at last night's debate.
Most analysts are giving the win in the first of two democratic presidential debates this week to Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. They also dominated in the category of most speaking time with Warren at over 18 minutes and Sanders over 17 minutes.
Klobuchar was in the middle of the pack with over 10 minutes.
She said in the debate, "I have won in these red districts. I win in the Midwest. I can win in Wisconsin and Michigan and Iowa."
The next debate scheduled is in mid-September, and it promises to have only half the candidates of this week's debate -- that's because of a higher bar for qualifying.
You must have 2% in four different polls and 130,000 unique donors. The following candidates have qualified for the September debates, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Cory Booker, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang.
Klobuchar has met the polling requirements. But as she tweeted this week she is "just short" of the 130,000 unique donors needed
"Anyone not making it into the next debates could be in real trouble," political analyst and professor Larry Jacobs of the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota said. "It's lights out for any Democrat who does not make it into the September debates. The debates are the platform to get attention from the viewing public, Democratic primary voters and donors."
Klobuchar has been pressing her case for small donations both on Facebook and by in-person pitches by volunteers -- and time is on her side. Her campaign tells us she already has more than 120,000 unique donors and she has until Aug. 28 to get to the 130,000 threshold. Klobuchar's campaign spokesperson says the Senator should have an update on those numbers in the next few days.
Stay with WCCO for continuing coverage of the presidential race.
